|
Frederik Willem de Klerk – South Africa
The former State President of South Africa was co-founder of the new South Africa.
In his famous speech on 2nd February 1990, he stunned the world by announcing new resolutions which would speed up the political changes in South Africa.
He announced the following resolutions:
-
Unbanning of the African National Congress (ANC)
-
Release of Nelson Mandela
-
The right to vote for all South Africans
These resolutions signalled the end of the Apartheid regime.
Frederik Willem de Klerk was born on the 18th March 1936 in Johannesburg. His family was also involved then in politics. He studied law and was for a long time a champion of the Apartheid state. He belonged to the National Party from 1948 onwards. In 1972 he was voted into Parliament.
In the following years, he was Minister of:
-
Post and Telecommunications 1972
-
Education 1978
-
Party chief of the National Party, February 1989
-
State President of South Africa, 15th August 1989
After he became State President, talks with the political opposition and Nelson Mandela followed. It cleared the way for a slow advance, although no tangible successes were yet visible. Within his own family he had a “race issue”, because his son wanted to marry a coloured woman. In the 1990 elections, de Klerk fought for a “new South Africa”. After the elections, the influence of the army and police was reduced and thereby also the danger through the oncoming changes of the Apartheid laws.
Through his political actions, he had many supporters, but also many old supporters of the Apartheid regime who opposed him.
In March 1992, De Klerk allowed the white population of South Africa to vote on his political actions. More than 68,7 % voted in favour of his politics. Voter participation was around 85 %. This election was a decisive step towards a free South Africa.
The first free elections in South Africa took place in April 1994. De Klerk became deputy president of the government of national unity.
In 1996 De Klerk had many problems with the new constitution of the country, and his party left the government in protest. In 1997, De Klerk retired from politics completely, and worked on his autobiography “The Last Trek. A new beginning”. This book was published in 1999.
Frederik Willem de Klerk is well-liked both as politician and person in South Africa.
He had considerable success in the new South Africa, in which a rainbow nation tried to love in peace with each other.
While foreigners are still discriminated against in Europe and other parts of the world, South Africa is one of the few countries where ‚togetherness’ works and the existing generations have learnt much from the old and new politics.
Every South African is proud of his/her country which will continue to characterise the future of the country.
Please visit:
| 
